Counting or registering mechanism.



No. 863,997. PATENTBD AUG; 20, 1907. P. G. JAHN.

GOUNTING 0R REGISTBRING MBGHANISM.

APrLIoATIoN FILED rms. ze, 190e.

` 2 SHEETS-snm? 1.

PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

F. G. JAHN.

OOUNTING 0R RBGISTERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2B,1D06.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Invenior, @n y@ @g/M unirsi) sfrafrns .PATENT OFFICE.

FREDEROK G. .,TAllN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., SSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL POSTAL SUPPLY COMPANY OF NEW YORK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ICOUNTING OR REGISTERING MIEHANESM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentes aug. so, iso?.

To all whom it may concern:

lle it known that 1,'FnsnnRICK G. JAHN, a citizen oi the United States, residing at the borough ol Brookl yn, city and State oi New York, have invented certain new and usc-lul improvements in Counting (i1-Registering Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates generally to counting or registering devices adapted to tally or register repeated operations of an actuator or other instrumentality and more particularly to that class oi such registering devices wherein it is desired at more or less irequent intervals to reset the counters to zero position so that one tally may be made and kept independent K of a preceding one.

i The object oi the present improvements is to provide an eilicient and entirely practicable counter wherein the indices or nu miser-bearing wheels maybe returned Correctly and quickly to zero Whenever desired ready for subsequentoperation, and wherein 'the resetting movements oi the counter are controlled by a single operating handle; and to these ends the improvements consist in the novelr combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth.

ln the accompanying drawings: Figure l, is a perspective view oi the exterior of the counter. Fig. 2, is an end elevatien. Figs. 3, 4 and 5, are similar cross sections on the line 3, 3, of Figs. 6 and 7, showing the parts in changed positions in the operation of resetting the counter to zero. Fig. 6, is a side elevation, the inclosing case and the tie-bars being broken away to expose underlying parts. Fig. 7, is a bottomY View. Fig. 8, is a vertical section of the units-Wheel and Fig. 9, is a like view taken at right angles thereto. Fig. l0, is a sectional diagram taken on the line 10 of Fig. 6, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 5. Fig. ll is a detail elevation oi a portion of the gearing locking device. l

`The invention is preferably embodied in that class of counters in which the indices are represented by .a plu-I rality oi wheels that arearranged in axial line with their peripheries carrying or bearing the indicating numerals 0, l to 9, inclusive, to be exposed and read through an opening a in `an inclosing case A, as shown in Fig. l. ln the present instance, these wheels 20, are live in number, representing units, tens, and so forth, up to andincluding tens of thousands. This number of wheels may obviously be increased or diminished as the requirements for use may warrant. These counterwhcels 20, are' mounted, rotatively' loose, on a spindle 2l that is supported by a pair of end plates 22 and 23, of a suitable frame work which consists of said end plates and properly arranged tie bars-24, with the inclosing case .A of shape, tting between ribs on three sides oi each of the end plates, and fastened in place to the lower tie bars hy screws 25.

With the counter-wheels are associated a proper number of carrying-pinions 26, mounted, rotatively loose, on a spindle 27, whereby each complete rotation of one counter-wheel is communicated to a limited extent to the next higher wheel. The spindle 27 may act as the means for transmitting the movements of 'the instrumentality to be counted to the counter-Wheels, and for this purpose carries a toothed wheel 40 in mesh with a similar wheel 4i fast to the units counter-Wheel.

In order to adapt the counter for resetting the intermeshing gearing oi the counter is arranged for disengagement 'to temporarily render the counter-wheels wholly free of restraint and oi the actuating instrumentality' so that any one or more will move er may "ne instantly moved to the zero position, that is, to expose through the opening in 'the case. In the preierred embodiment oi the invention the carryingpinion spindle 27 is journaled in a frame 28 capable oi limited movement with respect to the counter-wheels to eiiect the disengagement oi the pinions from the wheels, and for this purpose the frame is pivoted to the end plates by pivot-screws 30 which engage trunnions on the frame.

To effect a disengagement of the earrying-pinions and wheels, the movable frame 28 is controlled by a resetting device consisting o a spindle 31, carrying a suit' able cam or cams 32, which engage the free ends of the frame and in this linstance normally hold the frame with its carrying-pinionsl -in engaging position, the movement oi the spindle and cams releasing the irame and allowing it to drop by gravity a sulicient distance to carry the gearing out ot' engagement with the counterwheels. The resetting spindle 31 is. mounted to rotate in bearings in the end plates, one or both projectingends oi the spindle having grasping pieces 33 for convenient rotation, one such piece being formed with a notched flange 34, that is engaged by a spring pressed pawl 35 to act as a means for defining the extent of rotation and initial position oi the `resetting spindle, as Well as to prevent backward rotation thereof.

In order to prevent any rotative movement of the earrying-pinions, no matter how slight, while they are being moved from and into engagement with the counter-wheels, there is provided a pinion lock, preferably timed to engage with and hold the pinions immediately previous to their disengaging movement esl and only release them when rengaged-with the,

counter wheels. This lock conveniently takes the form oi a single bail `19, sufficiently long to engage those teeth of all of the pinions that are in propinquilty thereto. The bail projects from a rockable spindle 18 -mounted in the carrying-pinion frame 28 and is under the influence of a spring 17 tending to move the bail into locking position. The timely movement of this lock-forming bail 19, is controlled by suitable connections with the resetting spindle 31, which for this purpose carries a properly shaped cam 16, that engages one arm of a lever 14, the other arm 15 meeting a portion of the bail; the position of the parts when in operative condition being such that the cam normally holds the bail in its inactive positionagainst the pull of the spring 17. The actuating spindle 27, or its toothed wheel 40, which isalso disengaged from its companion wheel 41, during the resetting operation, is preferably held against movement or positioned with respect to its wheel 41 by an independent lock in the form of a pawl 12 that is hung on the rock spindle 18 to yieldingly engage the teeth of the wheel 40 under the pull of a spring 1l. The hub of the pawl is formed with a shoulder 1, see Fig. 11, held against one of the arms of the locking bail 19 by said spring 11, compelling its release of the toothed wheel simultaneously with the release of the carrying-pinions. The yielding of the pawl 12 permits the spindle 27 and gear 40 to be turned forward tooth by tooth without interfering with the positioning action of the pawl.

Other means are provided for temporarily engaging, holding or positioning each oi the counter-wheels immediately before and while the carrying-pinions and actuating gear are returning to their normal engaging position so that the intermeshing teeth of the gearing will be properly located and held stationary while the pinions are being rengaged, thereby greatly facilitating the resetting operation iirobviating the liability of the intermeshing teeth striking end on. These engaging means are provided by a plurality of fingers 37, one for each counter-wheel, all carried by a rock spindle 36, pivoted to the end plates and which spindle also serves as a convenient support for the two armed lever 14 of the carrying-pinion lock. The outer ends of the fingers 37, suitably engage predetermined parts of the counter-wheels which may be defined by properly positioned pins or projections 2, Fig. 10, or by a properly shaped recess 3, Figs. 3, 4 and 5, both methods being utilizedv for convenience sake in the construction shown. The fingers are held in the normal inactive position by a spring 45 and the rock spindle 36 has an arm 13, situated in the path of a suitable cam for moving the fingers into engaging position against the pull oi said spring, such cam in the present instance being provided by thc cam 32, controllingl the carrying-pinion frame 2b'.

To cause the automatic return of the counter-wheels to the zero position as soon as they are freed from rostraint by the separation of the intermeshing or operating gearing, cach wheel is loaded with a weight l0,

Figs. and 9, positioned in or on thix wheel so that gravity will act to rotate the wheel until its weight reaches the lowermostposition with the zero markon its periphery exposed through the opening ir the inclosing case. The counter-wheels may in lion ol' thc weighted portion be returned to zero position, or be aided in returning to Zero by a. hand-rotation of their supporting spindle 2l, through a thumb-\\'lu^cl 9, secured to one or both oi its projecting ends; the

friction between the hubs of the Wheels and the spindle being sufficient to cause them to move to zero position by simple rotations `or oscillations of the supporting spindle. Resort also 'may be had to a turning of the spindle 21 should either of the counter-wheels for any reason refuse to turn or remain out of zero position as by the perfect balancing of the weighted portion of the wheel when directly over its axis.

The counter-Wheels are preferably of skeleton form for convenience oi manufacture and to reduce their weight to the minimum so that the needed Weight added to automatically return them to zero position may be correspondingly lessened in the necessarily restricted space occupied by the Weight. All the counter-Wheels, as constructed, are in the main the same, only minor differences being needed in the units and highest Wheels.

Each Wheel as in Fig. 8, is formed of a pair of thin side disks 8, securely mounted on a central hub 7, inwardly projected ledges or shoulders being stamped out of the body of the disks at their peripheries to form a depressed seat for a peripheral strip or ring 6, bearing on its exterior face the indicating numerals 0, 1 to 9 inclusive. The hub of the units wheel has fast to it the toothed wheel 41 which receives motion from the actuating instrumentality through its inter-meshing driving wheel 40. Each of the wheels, with the exception of the highest, carries a single tooth-notched disk 5 for periodical intermeshing with the mutilated gear portion of the carrying-pinion, the unnotched portion of the disk being in surface engagement with the non-toothed portion of the pinion to hold it against rotation except when its notched portion is passing and is rotating the carrying-pinion. The opposite side of each of the counter-wheels, with the exception 100 of the units Wheel, is provided with a toothed-wheel 4, intermeshing with the non-mutilated toothed portion of the carryingpinion. No further detailed description of the carrying operationfrom one wheel to the next highest is needed, as such is well known to 105 those familiar with the construction of totalizing counters or registers. The disk 5LL on the highest counter-wheel, taking the place of the single toothnotched disk provided on the other counter-wheels, is utilized for the recess 3 before referred to; and tht` 110 pins 2 provided for a similar purpose on the other counter-wheels extend laterally from the disks 5 into the space between contiguous wheels.

Assuming thatithe counter has been'operated and is indicating the number 93752, through vthe opening in 115 the inclosing case and it is desired to return or reset the counter at zero or initial starting position, the thumb piece 33, on the end of the resetting spindle 3l is simplyjnoved through a single complete rotation, in doing which the pawl 35 has been forcibly raised from 120 its notch in the llange 34, the flange moved a completo turn under the pawl until the notch is l-irought around for the reentry of the pawl. In this single rotation ot' the re-sctting spindle. 3l, the following sequence of movements have taken place: The cam lG movi-s from 125 the two armed lever i4, allowing the spring 17 to mowthe lot-king bail 19 into engagement with the carryingpinions and the holding pawl l2 into contact with u toothed-wheel 4t). Immediately following this lifting or positioning of the movablil parts of the counter, the 130 cam or cams 32 (two being preferred), move away from the free ends of the frame Z, allowing said frame with the driving spindle 27, its toothed wheel 40 and carrying-pinions 26'to move away (by gravity in this instance), a distance sufficient to disengage the intermeshing gearing and thus entirely free the counterwheels of all restraint as in Fig. 4, so that the Weighted portions thereof will quickly act to move each Wheel the required distance to bring all their peripheral zero indications into line and exposed through the opening in the inclosing case. Continuing to turn, the cam 32, then bears against the arm 13 of the rock spindle 36, moving the fingers inwardly into engagement with the position-defining pins and recess of the counter-wheels, stopping their oscillation, and bringing them into a stationary condition so that the cam 32, still turning and While yet causing the fingers to hold the counterwheels against movement, now acts against theirame 28, as in Figs. 5 and 10, and returns it to its normal position with all the intermeshing gears rentered in mesh and thereupon finally releasing the fingers from the counter-wheel so that the lingers may return to their inactive position under the pull of the spring about simultaneously therewith the cam 16 acting against the lever 14 moves the lock from the carryingpinions and tooth-wheel 40.

It willbe observed that the first function of the resetting spindle as herein embodied is to lock the operating gearing against rotation and the last function thereof to release said lock. The counter has thus been reset to zero and brought back linto condition ready for further counting operation.

In order to break the continuity of the single rotation of the resetting spindle, the grasping piece flange 34 is provided with a second notch c, Fig. 2, a short distance removed from the initial notch, for the engages ment oi the pawl 35 therewith at the moment the counter-wheels have become free of the intermeshing gearing, so that an interval of time is necessarily gained in having to again forcibly move past the paWl during which the counter-wheels have been given full opportunity to return to zero .position in advance of the engagement oi the positioning lingers therewith.

When the spindle 27 carrying the actuating gear 40 and'isupporting the carryinglpinions is also the actuating spindle, one of its ends may have provision for connection with the actuating instrumentality such as a coupling head of a universal connection, permitting the lateral movement of the spindle in the disengaging operation without disconnecting its driving connection. i

While the improvements are shown in connection with progressively' rotative wheels that bear the ndioating numerals on their peripheral faces, it is obvious that other i'orins oi movable indices may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention.

What isclaimed is:

i. ',lhe combination of a plurality of counter-wheels, in-

termeshing gearing tor progressively moving them, means :t'or disengnging and reihigaging said gearing, means movabb` into engagement with the disengaged members oi' the gearing tor holding them against rotation and means for resetting the connler-ulieels ai. zero.`

lbe combination ln a totaiizing counter, ol transmitting gearing consisting oi' separable members, means for .-n-p.-n-ating said members, means movable into engagement with a portion of the separated members for holding the same against rotation while separated, said other members having loaded portions causingl them to automatically return to initial position ns soon as separated.

It. The combination of a plurality of countcrwvheels, intermcshingl gearing for progressively moving them, an operaiingv handle and connections for temporarily separating certain members of said gearing from the others and for moving a holding device to hold said separated members against rotations while separated, and said counter-wheels having loaded portions causing them to automatically retui'n to zero indication as soon as said separation occurs.

4. The combination of a plurality oi counter-wheels each of which is loaded to cause them to automatically return to zero position when disengaged, inter-meshing gearing for progressively moving them,and an operating handie and connections for disengaging said gearing, for moving a holding device to hold the disengaged gears against rotation and for positioning the counter-wheels.

'lhe combination of a plurality of counter-wheels, actuating gearing and carrying-pinions, means for separating said gearing and pinions from the counter-wheels, means for lockiin,r the gearing and carryingpinions against rotation before being separated and means for resetting the counter-wheels to the zero position.

C. 'lhe combination of a plurality of counter-Wheels each having a loaded portion adapting their return Eo zero when freed, operating gearing therefor, a gravitating frame carryin;r said gearing, and a cam for supporting said frame and its gearing in operativeI position.

7. The combination of a plurality of counter-wheels each having a loaded portion adapting their return to zero when freed, an actuating gear and carryingpinion therefor, a gravitating frame supporting said gear and pinions, and a spindle and connections for supporting the frame in normal operative position.`

S. The combination of the plurality of counter-wheels, gearing for operating said wheels, means for'diseonnecting said gearing from the wheels and a lock movable into engagement with the disengaged gearing for holding the same against rotation while disconnected.

i). 'l'he'combination of a plurality of counter-wheels, gearing for operating said wheels, an operatingr spindle and connections with said gearing whereby the gears are locked against rotation and then disconnected from the wheels.

10. The combination of a plurality of counter-wheels, gearing for operating said wheels, an operatingr spindle and connections with said gearing whereby the gears are locked against rotation, then disconnected from therwheels and the wheels positioned while the gearing is disconnected therewith.

l1. 'lhe combination of a plurality of counter-wheels, a movable frame and gearing supported thereby for.operat ing the wheels, a lock for the gearing carried by said trame, and a single operating handle and connections for operating the lock and moving the frame.

12. The combination of a plurality'of counter-wheels, a movable frame and gearing supported thereby for operating the wheels, a lock i'or the gearing, a camdor operating the lock, another cam controlling the movement of the trame and n single operating handle for said cams.

1li. lhe combination ot a plurality of counter-wheels, the actuating gearing therefor, means for rendering the counterwheels rotatively free ot' said gearing, and means for. positioningr the wheels in advance for being reihigagetl by the gearing.

isi. -'lhu eolnbination of a plurality ot' counter-wheels, a movable lrame and un actuating gear and carrying-pinion supported thereby i'or operating the wheels, a yielding loch [or the geur and another lock for the pinion and means t'or controlling the operation ot` the locks and the frame.

15. In combination oi n plurality of counter-wheels, a movable frame and an actuating gear and c.irr ving-pinion supported thereby ior operating the wheels, independent locks for tho gear and pinion, a single cum and connections for operating both locks and means t'or moving the lramc.

1li. .'ihc combination oi' a plurality ol` counter wheels, means for rendering them rotatively l'rce i'or resetting and las n plurality of fingers'to position the wheels at their inltial position.

17. The combination of a plurality of counter-wheels, means for rendering them rotatively free for resetting, a rock-spindle having a plurality of fingers to position the wheels at their initial position and an operating handle and connections for controlling said means and rocking the spindle. I

18. A combination of a plurality of counter-wheels, a gravituting frame and gearing carried thereby for operating the wheels, rock fingers for positioning the counterwheels at zero, a' cam for supporting the frame with the gearing in operative condition and operating said tingers, a lock for the gears, a cam for operating the lock and an operating .spindle carrying bothv cams.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 26th day of February 1906.

FREDERICK G. JAHN.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. GRAHAM, S. EDGAR DYE. 

